Wire-tightener



(No Model.)

B. Z. MACK.

WIRE TIGHTENER.

No. 413,074. Patented Oct. 15, 1889.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR,

M PETERS. Pnm-Limn minmr, Washingffln n c 'NITED STATES ATENT rricng EDWIN Z. MACK, OF MARSHALLTOVVN, IOXVA.

WIRE TIGHTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 413,074, dated October 15, 1889.

Application filed June 27, 1889 $erial No. 815,732. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN Z. MACK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marshalltown, in the county of Marshall and State of Iowa,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Tighteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a device for applying wire bands to hose and tightening and securely fastening the same therearound.

My object is to produce more simple and efficient means for accomplishing this result than have hitherto been in use.

With these ends in view my invention 0011- sists in the peculiar features and combinations of parts more fully described. hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device; Fig. 2, a front elevation showing the springcams set in position; Fig. 3, a similar view showing the cams released and grasping the ends of the wire in the act of tightening them around the hose, and Fig. 4 a view of a hosecoupling in which the hose has been fastened on the coupling by my improved tool.

The reference letters A and B represent the two handles or arms of the device. They are pivoted together at e, and a hole or perforation (1 -is bored through the frictional bearingplates a b of the arms to form a cutter for clipping off the ends of the wire. A similar cutter for smaller wire is formed on the opposite side of the pivot c by a perforation e in the plate I) and a recess f, cutout of the plate a. The two handles A. B are normally urged away from each otherby the semicircularflat spring 0, interposed between them. Beyond the pivot 0 these arms are formed into enlarged heads D E, having oblique inner lateral faces 6 h.

The handles A B, in conjunction with the pivot c, co-operate as a pair of first-class levers to actuate the heads D E toward and away from each other in the tying operation, to be more fully described hereinafter. The outer faces or surfaces rlj of these heads are provided with flanges 76 I, located diagonally opposite each other, their inner shoulders or rt being grooved to receive the wire ends. Posts 0 p and pivots r 8 project from the surfaces t' j. A pair of cams F G are pivoted on the pivots r s, respectively. The inner convex edges of these cams are provided with teeth d, which are cut at an angle of about forty-five degrees to their respective pivots, while their outer extremities are provided with tapered arms 12 w. The ends of these arms are adapted to fit in apertures or depressions cc y, formed in the lateral faces g h of the heads. hen the tool is not in use, the points project beyond the outer sides of the heads D E and hold the faces 9 h apart, as shown in Fig. 1. These cams F G are spring-actuated toward the grooved shoulders m n of the flanges is Z by means of the springs a 12', secured in the posts 0 p, and bearing against the outer edges of the cams. The grooved shoulders mn are provided with se 'ries of serrations m n, for the purpose of more tightly holding the wire.

It will be seen that the pivot 0 forms a com mon fulcrum for the levers or handles A B, and that the axes of the spring-actuated cams F G are arranged at right angles, or substantially so, to the pivot c, and that the planes of the faces 6 3' lie on the same plane as the pivot. These peculiarities will be more read ily-observed in Fig. 1.

The preferred manner of constructing my device having been set forth, I will now pro ceed to describe its operation.

The length of wire required to span the hose (either once or twice, as desired.) is first de termined and cut off by means of the cutters in the plates to b. The operator then spans the hose, leaving the wire ends extending in alignment with each other a sufficient distance after crossing to be grasped in the tightening-tool. The cams F G are then set by pressing their inner ends toward each other and causing them to enter the depressions as 3/ in the lateral faces 9 h. The tightener is then applied to the wire ends, so that they will lie in the grooved shoulders m n between the same and the toothed portion of the cams. The handles A B are now pressed to ward each other, and the cams will thus be released. from the depressions it y and forced against the wire by the springs a b. As the handles are further brought together, the cams tighten on the wire, as the teeth of the same are cut at an angle, as described,and the wire at the same time will be tightened around the hose. It is apparent that the more pressure brought to bear on the handles the tighter the cams will hold the wires, for this operation will spread the heads D E,'which form the short arms of the levers, farther apart. It the Wire has not been sufficiently tightened when the handles have been brought together, they can be released, and the cams will slip back and take a fresh hold. on the Wire. hen thewire has been sui'licientlytightened around the hose, the tightener is given a turn, which twists the ends of the wires around each other, and thus couples them. The handles can now be released and the tool pulled off the wires. The surplus wire is cut oif by the cutters in the plates Ct 19 and the ends hammered down against the hose, and a simple,strong, and absolutely water tight coupling has been made.

It is evident that many slight changes which might suggest themselves to a skilled mechanic could be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention;

, hence I do not limit myself to the precise conout-er extremities of the short arms thereof, said cams having their axes substantially at right angles to the fulcrum of the levers, and gripping-surfaces against which the wires are held by the cams, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a wire-tightener, a pair of levers provided with spring-actuated cams, in combination with gripping-surfaces against which the cams bear and arms upon the cams arranged to engage the opposite arms of the levers,

whereby the cams are held open for the reception of the Wires and are released and .thrown into action when receding from each other, in the manner and. for the purpose described.

' 4. The combination, in a wire-tightener, of a pair of spring-actuated levers provided with spring-actuated cams upon their short arms, gripping-surfaces for the cams, and arms upon the cams arranged to engage oppositely-located recesses in the levers, all arranged and adapted to operate in the manner and for the presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN Z. MACK. Witnesses:

JMES L. VVILLIAMs, B. L. BURRITT. 

